Automatic key-duplicating machine



Feb. 11, 1930. A. H. oos

' AUTOMATIC KEY DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet A TTORNEY (h \o I g Q is Ii INVENTOR; v A HROOS Feb/11', 1930. A. H. ROOS AUTOMATIC KEY DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORE A.H. R005 -BY v QATTORNEY, 3 L

Feb. 1i, 1930. A, H, R005 1,746,499

AUTOMATIC KEY DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed NOV. 15, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. A.H.R00s

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AXEL H. RODS, OF CHICO, CALIFORNIA AUTOMATIC KEY-DUPLICATING MACHINE App1ieation filed November 15, 1926. Serial No. 148,330.

to be automatically cut from any pin-cylinder lock pattern key without any attention on the part of an operator being necessary once the blank and pattern key are inserted in their proper initial positions and the machine started.

The machine includes a power driven movable carriage upon which the key and blank are mounted, and a further object of the invention is to provide automatically operating fromthe driving means when the cutting operations are completed, so that the movement of the carriage will then be halted Without the operator having to be present to stop the ma chine. In addition hand operated means are also provided for enabling thecarriage to be disengaged from the driving means at any time and with any position of the carriage.

Pin-cylinder lock keys with sloping pin grooves or notches are the only kind which it is practical to cut automatically. Flat keys having straight sided grooves or notches must be fed by hand, and I have therefore provided an additional hand operated carriage and cutting means, for holding and operating on such keys, which may be mounted in conjunction with the automatic key cutting mechanism, so as to form a unitary machine for handling the two kinds of keys.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the fol lowing specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the automatic key cutting mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the carriage clutch means and the clutch releasing means.

Fig. 4; is a fragmentary sectional plan on the line as of Fig. 3, showing the clutch release mechanism.

means for disen gaging the movable carriage Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on the l ne 55 of Fig. 1, showing the flexible drive connections between the fixed shaft and the movable key carriage.

Fig. 6 is an inner side elevation of a carriage slide-block detached.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the carriage slide mechanism taken onthe line 7-7 of Fig.1.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation detached of a yieldable carriage presser member.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the hand operated key cutting mechanism which maybe mounted in unitary connection with the automatic cutting mechanism.

Fi 10 is a section of a clamping block on the line 101O of Fig. 9.

. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawlngs, and particularly at this time to FigsQl to 8, 1 de notes a suitable portable base from which, adjacent the back, upstanding bearing posts 2 project, in which is journaled a shaft 3. Beyond the bearings at one end the shaft carries a bevel faced cutting disc 4 of the common form used to out sloping key grooves. Under the cutter is a chip or shavings chute 4:. Mounted on the shaft between the bearings is a pulley 5 by meansof which driving relation with an electric motor or the like may be established.

Mounted on the base in front of the shaft and at right angles thereto are opposed guide bars 6 spaced longitudinally of the base and shaft. Supported by the bars for movement lengthwise to and from the shaft are slides 7 (hereinafter described in detail) between which, above the bars, extend rigid spaced rods 8 parallel to each other and to the shaft. Slidable lengthwise relative to the rods is a frame 9, supported from said rods by slides 9 engaging the same. This frame together with the slides 7 and the rods 8 constitute the carriage of the machine. On the frame 9 are mounted in longitudinally spaced and transversely offset relation with respect to the movement of said frame, a pair of key clamping blocks 10 and 11, the latter being nearer the front of the base than the other. The block 10 is arranged to clamp against and hold the shank of a pattern key 12 of a pincylinder lock, whose grooves 13 face away from the frame 9 and whose handle faces away from the cutter 4. The blank 14 to be cut is clamped in the block 11, in symmetrical and parallel relationship to the key 12. All such keys and blanks have outwardly projecting shoulders as at 15 adjacent the handle. In order to line up these shanks in definite positions relative to the respective blocks in which the key and block are mounted, pivoted gage fingers 16 are mounted onto the frame 9 at those ends of the block beyond which the key handles project. These fingers, when inserting the key shanks in the blocks, are thrown over to overhang the shanks, the outer ends of said fingers being shaped to then turn down so as to project into the path of movement of the shoulders 15 toward the respective blocks. The shanks are then slid along until the shoulders abut against the fingers, when the blocks are clamped down on the shanks and the fingers are thrown back out of the way.

Mounted on the base 1 is an upstanding post 17 in which is adjustably and removably mounted a horizontal chisel pointed pin 18 set at right angles to the shaft 3 and the shank of the key 12. The pin is longitudinally adjustable in the post, but is prevented from turning therein, as shown. The outer end of the pin faces the key 12 and is so positioned on the base relative to the cutter 4 that when said pin abuts against the shoulder 15 of the key and against its shank, the edge of the cutter 4 will similarly abut against the shoulder and shank of'the blank 14. It will therefore be seen that if the carriage on which the key and blank are mounted is moved parallel to the shaft and longitudinally of the same toward the right, and at the same time a constant pressure is exerted against the carriage to maintain the shanks against the pin 13 and the cutter, said carriage will be forced to reciprocate with the movement of the pin in and out of the key grooves, and the cutter will cut correspondingly and exactly proportioned grooves in the blank 14.

In order to thus drive the carriage and at the same time allow it to yield and reciprocate transversely relative to its longitudinal movement, a screw shaft 19 is turnably mounted in the carriage slides 7 parallel to the rods 8 and shaft 3, said shaft 19 being prevented from longitudinal movement in the slides. This shaft is driven at any suitable speed from the shaft 3 by bevel gears 20 and 21 mounted at one end of the shaft- 19. The gear 20 is fixed on the shaft 19 while the gear 21 is mounted on a shaft 22 which is disposed in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the shaft 3. Mounted on the opp osite end of the shaft 22 ten worm 23 engaged by a worm wheel 24 mounted on a shaft 25. This shaft is journaled in arms 26 swung on the shaft 3 and carries a gear 27 which meshes with a pinion 28 on the shaft 3. The shaft 22 is enclosed and journaled in a rigid housing 29 turnable at one end of the shaft 25, the opposite end of the housing being also supported from the shaft 19 by a yoke 30 se cured to the housing and turnable on said shaft. It will thus be seen that the shaft 19 will be constantly rotated from the shaft 3 without interfering with the reciprocating movement of the carriage to and from said shaft, by reason of the flexible driving conneetions between the shafts 3 and 19.

To cause the rotation of the shaft 19 to move the carriage frame 9 longitudinally of the shaft 3, I provide a pair of split and opposed jaws 31 on said frame to engage the screw shaft in driving relationship. The jaws are pivoted together onto the frame 9 above the shaft 19, and have handles 32 projecting above the pivotal connection of the jaws, said handles being arranged to be brought together to spread the jaws. A spring 33 acts on the jaws to normally maintain them engaged with the screw shaft. 7

To enable the clutch jaws to be released both by hand, independent of the hand pressure on the handles 32, and automatically when the carriage has reached the end of its travel, I provide the following structure:

Turnably mounted in connection with the frame 9 under the shaft 19 and in vertical alinement therewith is a vertical pin 34. On its upper end this pin carries an oblong head 35 normally extending parallel to the shaft 19 and disposed between and in spaced relation to lugs 36 depending from the lower ends of the jaws and projecting into the path of rotative movement of the head. Projecting radially from the pin 34 is an arm 37, which projects at an angle to the head in the direction of travel of the frame 9 when driven, and which is normally held in definite relationship to said frame by a spring 38. The outer end of this arm is connected to another arm 39 substantially parallel thereto by a link 40. The arm 39 is pivoted at its opposite end on a vertical pin 41 mounted on the frame 9 at its forward end, said pin hav-- ing a radial operating handle 42 on its upper end. It will therefore be seen that upon turning the handle 42 in one direction, or against the pressure of the spring 38, the head 35 will be rotated to bear against the lugs 36 and spread the jaws 31 apart, releasing the same from the screw shaft. The spring 38 is so disposed that the arm 37 will then be held in that position until the handle 42 is intentionally moved in the opposite direction. The frame 9 may then of course be moved along the supporting rods 8 by hand without affecting the shaft 19. The same result, as to the operation of the head 35, is had by means of a lug 43, formed on the free end of the arm 39, said lug facing and being adapted to abut against the adjacent guide 1 bar 6. Such engagement and the consequent rotation of the head 35,.is timed to take place so as to cause the release of the clutch jaws by the time the carriage frame has reached its limit of travel,'when'the key blank will have been acted on for its full length.

To constantly but yieldably press the carriage toward the shaft 3, so that the key and blank will be constantly pressed against the pin 18 and cutter l, I provide a horizontal rod or bolt 14, disposed at rightangles to the rods 8 toward the front of the base and having a head 44 arrangedto press against the adjacent end of the carriage frame 9. This rod is slidably mounted in a fixed pedestal on. the base and is pressed toward the carriage by a suitable spring 46, mounted so that its tension may be readily adjusted.

The rod is withdrawn from engagement with the carriage at will, whenit is desired to move said carriage by hand, by means of links 47, connected thereto and to a handle 48 pivoted onto the pedestal. The handle is so arranged that when swung over so as to retionally manipulated. lease of the aws prevents damage to the cartract the rod from the carriage, the center lineof the links will then be beyond the dead center of pivotal connection of the handle with the pedestal, as indicated in Fig. 8, so

that the pin will be maintained in a retracted position until the handle is again and lnten- The automatic reriage such as might be had if the machine was left to run unattended and had to be stopped ".by hand. Themanual release of the aws and the spring pressure enables the carriage to be easily manipulated as is necessary during the mounting of the key and blank in place and the initial positioning of the carriage in a starting position.

. To insure free movement of the slides 7 along the bars 6 without any loose play and yet without the possibility of binding, I provide a ballbearing arrangement between the bars and slides. The slides 7 are longitudinally grooved to receive bars 49, and these bars, together with the adjacent faces of the :bars 6 are orovided with on osed V-shaued grooves 50 (see Fig. 7). Balls 51 ride in these grooves, being maintained in longitudinally spaced IGlZLlElOIl and heldto a limited amount of travel by a slotted keeper plate 52 mounted in connection with the bars 49. The bars 49 are adjusted relative to the bars 6 so that any loose play of the ballsin the grooves may be taken up and a proper running fit Y bar 6 may be easilyand accurately regulated so that the balls have proper freedom as might destroy the accuracyof cutting of '65 in the key 61. The clamping units, key

of movement yethave no loose "play'laterally. I have found this type of bearing to be very suitable for my purpose, since in a machine at this character it is essentialthat no wobbling of the carriage shallbehad such the blank from the pattern key. At the sametime this bearing structure is simple and inexpensive.

The above described apparatus is partial-1, larly intended for cutting sloping-notch or groove keysfor pin-cylinder locks. In connection with this apparatus I may also provide a hand operated structure for cutting straight notches in flat keys of various kinds. 1;.

In providing this apparatus as a unitary part of the automatic machine the base 1 is provided with an extension 1, which the shaft 3 overhangs fora short distance, so as to carry a disc cutter 54 of the straight sided type suitable for this work, with a chute 54 thereunder for the cuttings. Mounted onthis base extension are parallel guide bars 55 disposed at right anglesto the shaft. These bars support slides '56 preferably mounted in the same wayas described in connection with the slides 7. Mounted on andv extending between the slides 56 are rods 57 parallel to theshaft 3, which slides sup port a frame 58. Thisframe, together with theslides and rods, constitutesthe moving carriage of this apparatus. lvlounted on the frame are longitudinally spaced and transversely offset clamping units 59 and 60, the former to hold a pattern key 61 andthe latter to hold a blank 62.

Adjustablymounted in a post 63 projectingupwardly from the'base is a pin 64 an ranged at its outer end to enter anynotch wet . n 0 and blank, and pin and cutterare so d1sposedrelative to each other that when the pin abuts against the edge of the key at the top shoulder thereof, the edge of the cutter will lie in a corresponding position relative to the blank to be cut.

In the operation of this type of machine the frame 58 is manipulated by hand and is moved so thatthe pin 64L lines up with the successive notches in the key 61. Hand pressure is then exerted against the frame to move theblank against the cutter so that the latter will cut a notch in the blank which will be equal in depth to that in the key owing to the movement limiting influence ofthe pin 1 64. The width of the groove will also be governed by the pin which will bear against the side of the notch.

Each clamping unit comprises a pair of vertically spaced blocks66 and 67, connected together for movement to and from each other by screws 68 whichhave compression springs 69 holding the blocks apart. Each unit is removably mounted onthe carriage 58 by means of pins 70 on the carriage prothe springs.

jecting into holes 71 in the lower block 67. A screw pin 72 on the carriage between pins projects upwardly through a transverse slot 73 in both. blocks with a clamping nut 74 on top so that the upper block may be drawn downwardly against the pressure of This arrangement permits the clamping units to be easily removed and replaced by others having different forms of key-Shani engaging surfaces, since the various different types of key for which this apparatus is suitable have a variety of differently shaped shanks.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic key-cutting machine including a base, a rotary cutter mounted thereon, a carriage mounted on the base, said carriage comprising a structureslidable on the base for movement at right angles to the axis of the cutter, and a second structure slidably -mounted on the first structure for movement longitudinally of the axis of the cutter; key clamping means'on the second structure, a screw shaft mounted on the first structure parallel to the axis of the cutter, means on the second structure engaging the screw shaft, means for driving the cutter, and driving connections between said cutter driving means and the screw shaft.

2. A structure as in claim 1, said driving connections comprising a shaft on which the cutter is mounted, an arm turnable on the shaft, a second shaft mounted on the outer end of the arm parallel to the other shaft, a rigid connection between and turnably mounted on the second shaft and on the screw shaft, and driving connections between said cutter and second shaft, and between said second shaft and the screw shaft, said driving connections being arranged toallow of freedom of movement of the second shaft about the first shaft, and of the screw shaft in a direction transversely of said other shafts.

3. In an automatic key-cutting machine, a carriage having key-clamping means thereon, driven means for moving the carriage longitudinally, said means including a screw shaft mounted in connection with the carriage, opposed jaws mounted on the carriage and normally engaging the shaft, handles applied to the jaws for spreading the same clear of the shaft, and additional automatically operating means for spreading the jaws when the carriage has reached its limit of travel in one direction.

4. A structure as in claim 3, in which said automatically operating means includes a movable arm mounted on the carriage, a fixed stop engaged by the arm when the carriage reaches its limit of travel so as to cause said arm to be moved, and means between the arm and jaws for causing the latter to be spread with such movement of the arm.

5. A structure as in claim 3, in which said automatically operating means includes a movable arm mounted on the carriage, a fixed stop engaged by the arm when the carriage reaches its limit of travel so as to cause said arm to be moved, extensions depending from the jaws below the screw shaft, an oblong head turnably mounted between said extensions in clearance relation thereto, and a link connecting said head with the arm to cause the head to be turned to engage and spread said extensions when the arm is moved.

6. In a key cutting machine, a key clamping means comprising with a carriage, a pair of vertically spaced blocks, means yieldably holding said blocks together as a disconnectible unit, means for detachably mounting the lower block onto the carriage, and a clamping screw mounted in the carriage and projecting through both blocks 7. In an automatic key-cutting machine, a carriage having key-clamping means thereon, driven means for moving the carriage longitudinally, said means including a screw shaft, a clutch member yieldably engaging the same, and means independent of the shaft and actuated by the carriage for automatically moving said clutch away from the shaft when the carriage reaches its limit of movement in one direction.

8. A structure as in claim 7, with hand means, connected to the automatic clutch releasing means, for also moving the clutch clear of the shaft at any time.

9. An automatic key-cutting machine includinga base, a rotary cutter mounted thereon, a carriage mounted on the base and comprising a structure slidable on the base for movement at right angles to the axis of the cutter, and a second structure slidably mounted on the first structure for movement longitudinally of the axis of the cutter, key clamping means fixed on the second structure, means for driving the cutter, and driving connections between the cutter driving means and the second carriage structure for moving the same longitudinally of the cutter axis irrespective of the spacing of said structure from the cutter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AXEL H. ROOS. 

